Obeah is a West Indian word denoting supernatural or magical power.
This power also is thought to reside in ritual objects such as balls of
graveyard mixed with feathers, hair, and animal or human remains. The magicians,
called the obeah-men or obeah-women, are believed to conjure up evil spells
and enchantments to contact the hostile world and increase their personal
prestige in their community. A.G.H